Nightlife & Music

Top Nightlife Spots For The Under 21 Crowd In Philadelphia

The City of Brotherly Love is known for its restaurants, clubs, bars and after-hours party destinations. While you need to be of legal age to enter many of the hottest spots, the under-21 crowd has choices too. Home to dozens of colleges and universities, the Philadelphia area offers college-age residents and visitors plenty of options when it comes to a fun night out on the town with friends. In addition to the nightlife spots highlighted last year, check out these top venues for the under-21 fun seekers.

Blurr is the quintessential blend of dance club, cafe and college-age nightlife. While the three-level facility with cafe and dance floor boasts five full bars, Blurr is not exclusive to the under-21 crowd and often hosts events that feature friendly competition between local colleges. Some events limit entrance to patrons 21 and up, but many are open to 18 and older, with specifications that you must be 21 to drink. The lavish décor and multi-level design fuses a high-energy nightlife and dance floor with the lounge scene. Many events cater to college students and the venue features a mix of music formats.

Cavanaugh’s Restaurant and Sports Bar holds college night specials a couple nights each week, making it a popular destination for sports-loving college students. With over 20 HDTVs on site, students know that they won’t miss a minute of the big game. Favorite menu items include cheesesteaks (it IS Philly, after all!) shrimp or chicken tacos (that are to die for), winning wings, burgers, sandwiches and more. Cav’s is open late and serves free pizza from 10 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays – can’t get much better than that! Everything’s better fried, so they say, which may account for the reason Cavanaugh’s fried cheesecake is such a hit.

For a memorable night out on the town with friends, Philadelphia-area event planner Renee Patrone suggests heading to POD, Philly’s chic Asian-fusion restaurant with a unique ambiance that appeals to the discerning tastes and needs of the under-21 group. Your small group can rent a POD or group of PODs (egg-shaped dining spaces), says Patrone, where they can enjoy a night out on the town, noshing on sushi and sampling sashimi, maki and edamame as it passes by on a conveyor belt. All of this takes place as your group enjoys a fun yet intimate time together, and you’ll be entranced and charmed by the changing colors of your private, egg-shaped POD.

For the thrill seeker looking for an adrenaline rush that doesn’t involve dancing, Go Vertical is the perfect destination. In addition to as many as 50 climbing routes available at any given time, the venue sets 20 new routes each week to change things up, so that each visit is a new adventure. You’ll be high on life and adrenaline as you traverse 13,400 square feet of climbing surfaces as high as 50 feet in the air. Never tried climbing? No worries; classes are held daily for beginners looking for a challenge. Parking is free and the lot is well lit. Go Vertical is open until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Because the venue has no seating, patrons of this pizza joint indulge in their oversized slice of pie while standing on South Street, a destination in and of itself. Philly’s most famous street is an area along the southern border of Center City that is known for its bohemian atmosphere and eclectic mix of shops, bars and restaurants. It’s also a popular nightlife scene for college students and young adults. Lorenzo’s, open until the wee hours of the morning, is the favorite destination for that late-night or pre-dawn cheesy indulgence with friends.

Christy Ayala covers sports, recreation, the outdoors, and leisure activities in the Philadelphia area. She earned a masters degree in recreation administration from George Williams College and managed programs in the Midwest, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.